Conscience Of Dreaming
by Screaming Purple Duck
Summary: Sasuke and Mayumi have always been close. Now that Mayumi's new best friend is Naruto, the two have been spending less time together. They are now experiencing certian feelings. Will they act on them? SasukeXOC, possibly NarutoXOC, not known quite yet. :
1. Chapter 1

**Part One:**

I yawned, my jaw cracking as I slowly stretched the small aches I had received during the night.

The muscles in my back slowly came back to life, slowly moving back into their proper places, making

me moan in such a small pleasure. The covers, as always, had somehow been tossed off of the bed,

making me curl up to retain body heat in a sheet. With a sigh, I shook my head and walked across the

hall and into the bathroom. If the usual time schedule kept, I would have a full hour before Kakashi had

even begun to stir.

I smiled as I thought of my father, who no doubt was currently laying in the middle of his bed,

sprawled out with our newest dog, Keiji, the massive black mass who had already begun to protect the

household. The two were, no doubt, fighting over bed space in their sleep. I stripped of my clothing,

adjusted the water temperature, and prepared for twenty minutes of a relaxing, melt-your-flesh-off hot

shower. Of course, that moment was short lived as Naruto burst into the bathroom, having crashed in

he living room once again.

We stood there for a moment, staring. I cleared my throat, covering my body parts and glaring

at him. He gave me a sheepish grin as he blushed and slowly backed out of the bathroom, closing the

door after his body had vacated the small room. I bit my lip to smother the giggles that tried to slaw

heir way out of my throat and climbed in the shower. My long, chestnut hair was washed first,

horoughly, making sure that every sud was gone before I quickly washed my body with the rose

scented soap that Kakashi had gotten me for my birthday last month.

The faucet was shut off, forcing me to clench my teeth together against the cool air. A towel was

wrapped around my body as a smaller one was grabbed to dry my hair with. The bathroom door opened

once again, revealing a very tired looking Kakashi, who arched an eyebrow. I smiled, kissed my father's

cheek, and ducked around him into the paradise of my own room. Siki, my large white dog lifted her

head from her perch at the bottom of my bed, woofed a greeting, and fell back to sleep.

I grinned at the mass of white fluff, knowing that Kakashi would indeed be mad at me for

etting her sleep on the bed once again. I shook my head and headed to the dresser, knowing that I

could get around Kakashi and allow Siki to sleep on the bed once again. With a sigh, I grabbed my

black tank top, the long-sleeved fishnet shirt, and the skirt that was the only bottoms I had clean. I

dressed quickly, finished drying my hair, and walked to the door.

"Siki, Keiji," I yelled as I walked down the hallway, leaving my bedroom door open.

"Breakfast!"

I could hear Keiji and Siki spring off of their beds and haul ass to the kitchen. With a grin, I

shook Naruto awake, who had fallen asleep at the counter, as usual, waiting for his breakfast. He

smiled at me as I began to go around the kitchen, gathering milk, eggs, bacon, and of course, ramen. I

could almost hear Naruto's eyes widen at the possibility of getting his favorite meal for breakfast.

"Morning, sleepy head," I said, choosing not to bring up the subject of him walking in on me

getting ready for the shower.

"Uh, morning," Naruto muttered, rubbing a hand absently on the back of his neck. "How uh...

How did you sleep?"

"Surprisingly well, even though Siki hogged the bed, like always. And how about you?"

He grinned at me, the smile reaching his eyes. "I slept well! Believe it!"

I grinned at him, happy that my best friend had taken to staying with us lately. "You know, we

could always ask dad to clear out the junk room for you, Naruto. You don't always have to crash on the

couch."

"We could," a voice sounded from behind us, "but then I'd have to do actual physical labor for

his royal pain."

I giggled and continued to cook breakfast. A bowl of ramen and a spoon were set in front of

Naruto, a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast were set in front of Kakashi. I quickly popped a piece of toast

nto the toaster and walked from the room into the back yard area, filling the dog bowls quickly before

unning back into the kitchen to prepare my piece of toast with peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Kakashi watched me with disapproval on his face, letting me know that it wasn't a healthy breakfast.

I kissed his cheek. "Okay, dad, hot water's still doing okay. The dogs have been fed. Just make

sure to let them out. Try to do the laundry, okay? I have no pants clean. I made sandwiches, they're in

he fridge, try to drink the milk, it's about ready to expire. And think about what you want for dinner,

okay?"

"Shower. Let the dogs out. Laundry. Lunch. Drink the milk. Think about dinner. Did I get it

all?" he asked sarcasticly, counting the list off on his fingers.

I rolled my eyes and kissed his cheek again. "Yes you did. We'll be back after class. Dogs. Don't

orget to take them out."

I grabbed Naruto, who had been changing into casual wear, a white t-shirt with the jean fabric

pants that he had received for his birthday from Kakashi. He growled as he reached for his headband on

he way out of the door, grumbling about how I was a push over and needed to take a break from

unning everybody else's life. I grinned and tugged on his hand again, relieved when he settled into step

beside me.

"Naruto, buddy," I said as I hooked my arm through his. "You and me got somethin' to talk

about."

He groaned. "Look, I didn't hear the water running and it was an accident. Can't we just forget

about what happened?"

I threw my head back and laughed. "Sure, buddy. As long as you don't blab about my tattoo,

okay?"

He solemnly crossed an X over his heart. "Your butterfly is safe with me, princess."

I shook my head at him. His grin, reckless and slightly crooked, could pull me out of lowest

moods. Due to our demons, we had bonded quickly, sticking together through the thick and the thin.

Kakashi had grown accustomed to finding the bubbly blonde passed out on the couch, after a long night

of watching movies with me. I grinned and began to skip to class.

~Sasuke's P.O.V.~

I sighed and leaned against the wall. The others were milling around their desks, chatting

occasionally. It was oddly quiet. My eyes traveled over the room, surprisingly full, taking a mental roll.

Naruto and Mayumi were missing, which was why it was so quiet. My eyes closed, blocking out all the

sounds of people mumbling, giggling, Iruka sighing as he noted the attendance.

"Cockatoo butt!" I heard a voice say before I was enveloped in a hug.

"Mayumi, please, not in public," Naruto said, in mock surprise. "If you are going to rape the

young man, at least do it where nobody can see the humiliation!"

I ground my teeth together at Naruto's voice. Her body was pressed against mine in a friendly

manor, but I could feel everything. She smelled of roses again, her scent tickling my nose. I smiled

aintly as she made a gagging sound in the back of her throat and pulled away quickly, glaring at

Naruto. Iruka cleared his throat from the front of the classroom, the sound meaning we were to take our

seats.

I nearly laughed as I saw Naruto hightail it down to the front of the classroom to sit by Sakura.

Mayumi sighed next to me and headed up to sit in the corner of the room, away from the others in the

small room. With an inwardly sigh, I climbed the steps and sat next to her, nearly grimacing in pain at

her surprised, but sexy, squeak of surprise. She then smiled at me, gently touched my hand, and turned

her attention to Iruka, who was writing something on the chalk board.

_You idiot, _I thought to myself as I watched her hand carefully write notes down before

continuing on to doodle dinosaurs being ridden by ninjas. _Why did you have to sit by her? You know_

_his is going to get her trouble with the Trouble Twins. You self-absorbed bastard._

The scent of roses invaded my nostrils. Being the moron that I am when it comes to her, I took a

deep breath. And held it until my lungs began to burn. Mayumi smiled at me, touching my arm gently. I

was about to say something when she asked if I had a fever. I shook my head and looked back at Iruka,

who was going back to his notes after yelling at Naruto for jumping on the table.

"What an idiot," I scoffed to myself.

"Who? Naruto?" Mayumi asked, looking toward where I had been looking.

"Mayumi," I said calmly, trying not to laugh at her. "Who else is an idiot in here?"

Her face went pale for a moment. I cursed myself and reached out for her hand only to have

mine smacked away. She bit her lip and shook her head in what I was guessing disgust. She leaned in

close to my face, oblivious to the people around us, and smacked me ever so slightly, just enough to

eave a sting, not loud enough to draw attention. I glared at her.

"Apparently you are, Cockatoo butt," she muttered as she walked down the steps and sat next to

no.

_Way to go, Sasuke,_ I thought to myself as I began to concentrate on class again. It was so much

easier without Mayumi sitting right next to me. _Mock her best friend. Very smooth._

I started doodling on my desk. Naruto was yelling about something to Iruka, like usual. And the

sensei was currently deep red and appeared to keep himself from smacking the blonde boy. Mayumi sat

next to Ino, her body began to shake. The girl gripped the side of the table until her knuckles went

purple then white at the pressure. I leaned closer.

_How interesting, _I thought as I studied her odd body language.

~Mayumi's P.O.V.~

The pain started in my lower back. I ground my teeth together and stared intently at the front of

he room. I could feel her pressing against my skin, probing, trying to find a way out. I gripped the

able, trying to fight her off without causing a scene. She pushed harder at me, pushing the skin of my

shoulder out, causing me to scream in pain. Ino jumped up, pressing her hand against my cheek.

"Mayumi!" Ino cried, her eyes frightened little blue orbs. "Mayumi, are you okay?"

I shook my head and pushed her back, my heart almost tearing out of my chest as I saw one of

my closest friends tumble down the stairs a bit, landing on her bum. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw

what was going on. He turned to Iruka, holding a very quick, not very loud conversation with the older

man. My head was thrown back as she pushed against the skin once again, trying to break through.

"Everybody out!" Iruka yelled, pushing Naruto towards the door. "Now! MOVE!"

They all hightailed it out of the room. I collapsed onto the floor, writhing in pain as she laughed,

her cold voice tearing through my head like the claws she possessed. I pulled myself to standing by

using one of the chairs, pushing her back with all my might. Her laugh sounded again, the noise like

alling glass shards going through my body. Another scream tore from my throat.

_'Mayumi,'_ she purred in my head. _'The least you could be was be polite..'_ Another push at the

skin. _'I allowed you years without too many attempts. It's MY TURN!'_

I screamed as she pushed through my skin, the claws tearing through my hands, my back re

orming while I was still in my body. She always did this to me. Waited until the last possible moment

o take possession. My legs bowed and reformed, coming out longer, scaly. My arms gained more

mass, growing a tad bit longer, a little more defined with the blood-red claws that hung where my

ingers used to. I looked at the door to see Kakashi running into the room.

'NO! You can't!' I screamed into my mind, trying to fight back. Already knowing she had won.

He's my father! You can't!'

She laughed, the sound coming from my throat. _"Like I did before, pet?"_

~Naruto's P.O.V.~

"Iruka, you have to let me in there," I begged, trying to push my way past him and into the

classroom where I could hear Mayumi's screams. "She's in there. She's hurting her! Please, Iruka!"

Iruka looked at me, pity pouring from his eyes. "I can't, Naruto. Not while that thing is doing

his to her."

"That _thing_ is still my daughter," Kakashi snapped as he threw himself into the room, locking

he door behind him.

"Kakashi!" I yelled, trying to once again get past Iruka.

"Naruto! I can't let you into that room!" Iruka snapped, holding me to prevent myself from

thrusting my body weight against the door. "We just have to see what happens."

I turned, looked into his eyes. And nearly screamed in annoyance. Pity had gave way to doubt.

_ Even he knew the outcome would not be good._


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two:**

~Kakashi's P.O.V.~

I stopped, noting that the change had been complete. Not even my little girl's eyes shone back at me. What stood in front of me was roughly six foot of scaly death. The creature looked at me, the mouth it bore turning up into a sharply-pointed grin. A claw was pointed at me. My heart nearly stopped.

_Please, _I pleaded with an unknown source. _Let my little girl still be there when this is over. Let her still be her..._

"If it isn't daddy to the rescue," the creature said, voice deformed and dripping with the promise of bloodshed. "I regret to inform you that your precious little one isn't here at the moment. Can I take a message?"

"Give her back," I stated, my voice low.

"Oh, but daddy, I so enjoy this body," the creature said with a pointy-toothed sadistic grin, imitating my little girls' voice perfectly. "I think I'll just keep it."

"Don't use her voice!" I yelled, walking towards the creature. "Don't you dare use her voice."

The creature laughed, the sound reflecting around the room. It cut into my flesh, forced blood to slowly creep from the wounds. I continued to walk to it, stopping only when I stood directly in front of the creature as it leaned down. We stood, face-to-face, its breath washing over me, tasting and smelling of age-old blood. It's vibrant orange eyes stared at me, unblinking, mocking.

"And if I do?" it asked, drawing its lips up into a snarl. "What can you do to me, Kakashi?"

"I'll kill you."

The demon gave a loud crackle of laughter. "You would love to do that, wouldn't you, Kakashi? To kill this form. But in order to do that, you would have to kill your child. Your only child. Your murdering child. And I would just be sent to another child, start the cycle all over again."

I began to shake. The creature was daring me, taunting, attempting to get some sort of reaction from me. I ground my teeth together and stepped forward, punching it in the chest. My fist met the hard scales of its body, the force behind the punch thrusting the creature backwards, into the blackboard. It gave a sound of surprise, a yelp of pain. It laughed as it could slowly feel my daughter coming back.

It looked me in the eye, grinned evily as my daughter slowly came back. "This isn't over, Kakashi. Some day, I shall obtain power of that body. And you'll never see her again."

I saw the demon disappear, my daughter take form. She gave me a confused smile before falling forward. I caught her within seconds, scooping her into my arms and going towards the door. I quickly removed my vest, covering her with it to the best of my ability, as her clothing had been ripped off during the change. I kissed her forehead softly, relishing at the feeling of my little girl back in the flesh. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, her mouth parted on a sigh, but she remained out cold.

I unlocked the door with a slight flick of my wrist. Naruto was the first to come forward, his eyes full of concern and fear for my daughter. I gave him a smile and nodded my head to reassure him. Sasuke walked up to me, silently passed me his blue shirt, and cleared the people out of the hallway. Iruka stood with me, his hand on my shoulder. I could see the apology in his eyes, the hope of all being forgiven.

"Thank you, Sasuke," I muttered as he walked out of the door. He gave a grunt and continued on.

"Look, Kakashi," Iruka began, his tone of voice implying that he didn't know how to go about this conversation. "You know I love Mayumi like my own child. I didn't mean any offense earlier..."

I quickly put the blue shirt over Mayumi, relishing in the fact that it was long enough to cover her important parts. "No worries, Iruka. I know where you're coming from."

He smiled sadly, nodded. I took my daughter into my arms once again and headed towards the house. She was starting to gain her color again. A silent prayer was said as I stepped into the sun. For once, I prayed that the sun wouldn't react with her super-sensitive skin and would allow me enough leeway to get her to the house. Without bothering to find out, I ran.

I pushed the door open, noting that the dogs had been on the couch again. I tossed that knowledge back into the depths of my mind as I began to jog down the hallway to Mayumi's room. The young girl murmured something incoherent as I laid her on the bed. The blankets were pulled around her, tucked in. I gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before heading out of the room, down the hall, and into the kitchen where Iruka, Naruto, and Sasuke sat, stiff as stone.

"Kakashi!" Naruto jumped to attention. "Is she okay? Is she sleeping? Can I go see her?"

I pushed the boy into a chair. "Naruto, shut up. One, she's fine. Two, she's sleeping. Three, you can see her after I answer all the questions and feed you three. Got it?"

The boy nodded.

I sighed and began to prepare ramen in abundance, since I had both Iruka and Naruto in my kitchen. The three began to slowly as questions. What had happened? Was she okay? Does it hurt when her demon takes control? When will she be up? I sighed and went to the cupboard to pull out glasses for water when I saw her dog jump up and run to her room. I shook my head and began to fill the glasses.

"You might want to try milk," I heard her say weakly from the corner. "It tastes better with the ramen."

I spun around, nearly dropping three glasses of water on the floor. I noticed that Siki was standing protectively in front of her, growling at the Uchiha boy. I mumbled her name and watched as she planted herself firmly by my daughter's side. The dog gave a woof and kept a close eye on Sasuke as Mayumi slowly shuffled into the room, clasping onto whatever was available to stay upright.

"Go play with your friends," she said, pushing me away from the kitchen. "This is my area. Shoo."

I grabbed her wrist, pulled her to me. "Mayumi, you should be resting."

"Can't sleep."

"Pills?"

"Don't want 'em."

I sighed and picked her up, carried her to the kitchen table, and plopped her down in one of the chairs before returning to the kitchen to finish the food.

~Mayumi's P.O.V.~

"MAYUMI!" Naruto shouted, crushing me into a hug, making me wince in pain as he grabbed onto my bruised body.

"Hey buddy," I said weakly as he pulled away. "Didja miss me?"

He swatted the back of my head. "Yes I did. And you scared the hell out of me, Mayumi. Are you okay? Should you be resting? Why are you wearing Sasuke's clothes?"

I looked down at myself in disbelief. Sure enough, I was wearing Sasuke's blue shirt. I looked over at him, confused. He shrugged and went back to brooding over something. Iruka gave me a hug and slipped into the kitchen to talk with my father, no doubt. Which left me with the two boys, one who was fussing over my condition, and one who was sitting stoically in the corner, not saying a word. Or moving. Maybe he was part tree.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, slowly propping myself up against the table. The two boys stared up at me, confusion showing on Naruto's face, a blank mask for Sasuke's. I took a slow, cautious step forward. My knee was holding my weight. I smirked and took another step, only to have that knee cave in on me and I began to fall. I winced, put my arms out to break my fall, my eyes closed. I felt arms clasp around my midsection like steel, a solid yank sent my breakfast shooting up my throat before I fought to keep it in my esophagus.

I slammed my eyelids together, not letting them swim and cause me to be nauseous. I pushed my face against the column of a sturdy neck, breathing in the scent deeply. His arms closed around me, pulling me into the strength of the embrace. Slowly, he grasped the back of my knees, a supportive arm at my back, and lifted me into his arms. I squeaked in surprise and latched my arms around his neck, once again burying my face into the side of his neck.

"Where's her room?" Sasuke asked. I was assuming he was asking Naruto.

"Follow me," Naruto said, walking towards my room.

I sighed, allowing myself to drink in the warmth of Sasuke's body. His arms fit nicely around my body, his chest was strong. I shook my head. I wasn't supposed to be thinking like that about a friend. I sighed and laid my head against his shoulder and watched as Naruto walked down the hallway into my room. I sighed as the two purposely said nothing about the situation. I hated that.

"Right here," Naruto said as he opened the door.

Sasuke nodded and walked into the room. I saw his eyes sweeping around the room, many things that I wish he hadn't have been able to see all over my floor. I moaned and slammed my eyes shut, picking to imagine that he wasn't here. Sasuke laughed to himself quietly, and slammed the door shut. The noise had my ears ringing and my head pounding. I squeaked and pressed my fingertips into my temple.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said as he slowly placed me on my feet. "I didn't mean to make your head worse. Are you okay?"

I looked at him, my eyes going wide. "That was the most I've ever heard you say at one time..."

"..."

My excitement was short lived. I gave him a small smile and slowly made my way to the bed. I took two steps and my knee once again gave out. Sasuke moved, but not in time. I slammed down on the floor, my breath catching on a scream. He quickly picked me up, cradling me against his chest, kissing my temple, promising me that everything would be alright. I bit my lip to keep the hysteric giggles that attempted to force themselves up my throat.

He glared at me, dropping me onto the bed. I winced, kicking up at him. He groaned, clutched himself, and collapsed onto the floor. My eyes widened, my body convulsing in hysterical laughter. I bit my lip and leaned over the bed, watching his eyes track the movement. He moved himself just out of my reach. What a wimp.

"Sasuke," I said, trying to stop my laughter. "Are you okay?"

He moaned in pain.

"Oh, c'mon," I muttered, moving my body so that I could poke his cheek. "I didn't even kick you that hard."

He glared at me. I could see the muscles in his jaw twitch as he clenched it. My eyes traced down his face, lightly focusing on a scar that was visible at the side of his neck. I sighed, snapping my attention back to his eyes. He was laughing at me, via his eyesockets. I glared and hit him in the stomach. He made an 'oof' of pain and glared at me.

"Quit being such a chicken," I muttered, starting to pull away from him.

He winced in pain before his arm shot up to grab my wrist. He pulled me down, so that my lips were directly above his. I struggled against his hold, forcing myself back onto the bed, only to have him pull me completely off of the bed. I landed squarely on his body, mine fitting his almost perfectly. He grinned slightly before he crushed his lips to mine.

I bit his lip, making him cry out in pain. I shot up from his body, cursing him and wiping my lips. His head fell back as he let out a very masculine laugh. I glared at him as I stomped over to my door, holding onto the frame for my life. I took a deep breath.

"DAD!" I screamed, wincing as the pain in my head shot to a new level.

I heard the shouts from the kitchen, the heavy footsteps as they all ran to the hallway. Kakashi rounded the corner first, his stride lengthening as he caught up to me. I was crushed into his arms. I felt his lips on my hair as he gave me a slight kiss before he lifted me into his arms. He looked over at Iruka and Naruto.

"Will you two be as kind as to escort the young Uchiha to the porch?" Kakashi asked, his voice cold and icy.

Kakashi waited until the others had left before he gathered me close to his chest. I felt his lips against the top of my head, heard his murmured whispers. I smiled and inhaled deep, the scent of my father twisting around in my nostrils. I wrapped my arms around him and took a deep breath.

"Are you okay, Mayumi?" Kakashi asked as he picked me up and set me on my bed. "No pain or anything? He didn't touch you, did he?"

"Dad I..." I started, thinking it over. "He just kissed me." My cheeks began to burn. "And it wasn't... Unpleasant." My face flushed bright red. Kakashi laughed quietly to himself. "But dad... I want you to tell me about mom again..."

"Mayumi," Kakashi sighed as he sat next to me on the bed. "Again?"

"Please, daddy? One more time?"

_'I never get tired of hearing her say that,' _Kakashi thought as he settled against my headboard and began telling me about my mother again.


	3. Chapter 3

-Chapter Three; two weeks later-

I stood, stretched. The muscles in my back voiced their opinions, contracting violently. Whimpering, I forced myself to walk to the shower, knowing that a shower would help greatly. Yesterday's workout had been rough, dragging me nearly to the point of total exhaustion. What was the point, I wondered as I crossed the hallway into the bathroom to mess with the dial of the shower, of working the entire team if only two of them were going to do the work?

I sighed and stripped down as I let the water get to that exact temperature of melt your skin off if you stay under the spray for more than thirty seconds. The steam began to seep around the edges of the shower, drastically decreasing the temperature in the small room. With a grin, I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water massage the sore muscles of my body.

I was mid-soap cycle when a banging on bathroom door interrupted my mindless state. I sighed and peeked around the shower curtain. Either it was Naruto or Kakashi… My guess was that it was Naruto. Kakashi usually waited until I was out of the shower. Or went to Iruka's house to steal his shower and make the other man late to class.

I liked when that happened, to be completely honest.

"What?!" I yelled, head darting back into the shower. "I'm in the shower!"

"I know you're in the shower, May," Naruto said as he burst into the small room. "Hey, at least you're actually in the shower this time." I heard the toilet seat click against the back of the porcelain throne. "It was very awkward walking in on you last time."

I stopped as I was rinsing the shampoo out of my hair. "Awkward? Awkward for you or awkward for me?"

"For me, of course," he replied as he began to relieve himself with a contented sigh.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" I squeaked, nearly peeking around the curtain again. "Excuse me, but this is _my_ house. You walked into _my_ bathroom. You saw _ME_ naked."

"Yeah but I was the one who had to get the awkward talk from your dad," Naruto muttered as he stalked through the door, slamming it behind him.

I sighed and continued to rinse my hair out. Of course dad would have given Naruto the awkward talk. To be completely honest, I was surprised that it had taken him this long to do so. Naruto had been basically living with us for two years. Dad was always protective of me around men. Though, with this demon inside of me, I couldn't blame him for being protective.

Around anybody.

The water began to cool, which meant it was time to get out and begin the day. I shoved the dial to off and reached for the towel rack for the big, fluffy towel that was waiting for me. After winding the towel around my small frame, I walked from the shower. I wrenched the door open and jumped back, a small sound of surprise leaking from the back of my throat as Kakashi fell into the bedroom.

Was he asleep?

I stepped around the older man. He let out a quiet snore and curled onto his side, grabbing the bathroom rug and throwing it over his body. I rolled my eyes as I stepped into my room. Today was going to be a normal day, I thought as I went to my closet. Pulling out jeans and a tank top, I quickly got dressed. After doing this ritual chore, I began to feel slightly like a person again.

"Mayumi," Naruto yelled from the kitchen. "I'm _starving_. My stomach is going to start eating itself!"

Wouldn't that be perfect, I thought as I trotted down the hallway into the kitchen. The dogs woofed and dove out from Kakashi's room, following closely at my heels. The blonde boy was at the counter, slathering butter onto six pieces of bread. I winced, watching as he shoved at least three of them into his mouth at once. How can boys eat like that? It was inhuman.

"Hey, Mayumi," Naruto said around a mouthful of heated bread. "I'm going out with Neji this morning. He need some help with something or other. You gonna be okay on your own?"

I smiled at him, opening the glass door to let the dogs out into the back yard. "Of course I'll be fine, Blondie. I'm just going to take Siki on a walk around the park. It is our day off, you know."

"You don't have to tell me!" Naruto shouted as he grabbed the remaining three pieces of toast and ran out the front door. "I'll be home for dinner! Have fun with the doggy!"

I smiled and went to the front door. Neji straightened from his position of leaning against the lightpole across the street as Naruto ran to him, waving enthusiastically. I waived at Neji at him as I went to close the door. The dogs stood at the door, tails going a mile a minute. I smiled and went to open the back door. They dashed into the house, Siki sitting down at my feet and Keiji ran to find Kakashi, who was most likely still passed out in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Okay, Siki," I muttered as I grabbed her leash from the hook on the wall. "Do you wanna go for a walk, girl?"

The dog gave a happy yip and danced on her paws, a happy grin. I smiled and clicked the leash onto her collar and followed her to the door. She whined, scratching at the door. As always, my baby was more than prepared to go for a walk outside. I opened the door and began to walk out of the door. As an afterthought, I grabbed a jacket before the door closed completely and put it on.

"Okay, Siki," I said as we walked down the sidewalk. "To the park, eh?"

The dog barked happily, jogging down the sidewalk. I smiled and followed her, more than happy to take the time to enjoy the fresh, crisp air. The dog's fluffy tail waived happily as she sniffed at this and that, dragging me toward the park. Ino waived from the flower shop window. I grinned at her and sent her a sassy salute. The blonde on the other side threw her head back on a laugh that I knew from personal experience would be low and sultry.

If only she knew how much allure she held over men, I thought as I broke into a jog to keep up with my four legged companion. If she would just give up her silly crush on Sasuke, she could find actual happiness.

Siki and I arrived at the park, the dog quickly growing uninterested in the company it provided. If there were no dogs around, Siki didn't want to be bothered. The big dog drug me to the bottom of a tree and plopped down, sighing as she closed her eyes to take a nap. I tugged at the leash, trying to get her up. If she was going to sleep, she could at least do it at home. The dog opened one eye and gave me a low, deep, ferocious growl.

With a glare for the dog, I plopped down beside her. The weather was lovely, not too hot and not too cold. With a sigh, I laid down beside Siki's massive body and closed my eyes, not wanting to burn my eyeballs with the sun's intense brightness. I was almost asleep when suddenly the warm light that had been kissing my skin disappeared, leaving in its wake a cold sense of dread.

"What the hell are you doing, laying around in public that way?" came the disgusted voice from above me.

I sighed and opened my eyes, staring up into the annoyed black eyes of the youngest Uchiha. "Well, Sasuke, I was enjoying the company of my dog and the sun. I'm sorry, is doing this illegal? Well, don't worry." I boosted myself up onto my elbows. "I'm sure you'd be more than happy to go get somebody of a higher authority and have me arrested for being happy in a public place, right?"

"You know," Sasuke said as he began to stalk off. "Your attitude is boring."

I jumped up, Siki following suit, and stomped after him. "You're saying _my_ attitude is boring? Your attitude is boring! Your whole being is annoying! Why don't you just go-"

"Leave me alone, moron," Sasuke scoffed, walking away from me once again. "I don't care what you have to tell me. It's not important."


End file.
